VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 37 Master Deluxe Town Sedan Front Seat Trim

I didn't realize my front seat was missing some sort of trim pieces along the bottom edge until a prospective upholsterer pointed it out.
Can anyone describe or attach pictures of what is missing? I don't suppose there are any replacement ones being sold out there?

Thanks

Terry
vcca#58150

If it's the same as my 38 I can post pics when I get on the other computer.

Just flat steel about the same gauge as the body panels formed to contour and covered with upholstery material on my 38. Don't know if the 37 is the same.

Tiny

Thanks much! That really helps a lot. I would have guessed it would have been some decorative metal piece that was impossible to get but a fabric covered metal strip should be much easier to duplicate.

Terry

My ‘37 Master coupe had trim pieces similar to the pictures Tiny posted. I do not know if those parts were the same for a Master Deluxe Town Sedan.

I'm nearing the point where my local upholster will be attempting to duplicating the missing Finishing Trim Panel pieces out of aluminum before covering with mohair.

Can you tell me what the thickness & height of the piece is and if it is a single unit and not multiple parts that curves around from the front & back edges of the seat?

Any chance of additional pictures especially of the rear corner of the panel that shows how it wraps around the back?

thanks

Terry
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vcca#58150

I'm attaching another picture that shows where mine had attached using toothpicks in the holes.

Single pieces of formed steel. I'll try to remember to put a tape measure on one tomorrow and take a peek at the hidden end.

I have attached pictures of mine 1938 Master. Mine is 3 1/4" high.
I have seen in the past this same detail in leather

Timbeilby's example appears to be wider and thinner than in the photo attached by Tiny.
Timbeilby is it metal covered with material?
Tiny is to supply the height and thickness his example?

Terry

Mine does "look" thicker I guess but it may be the upholstery material making it look that way. It's plain sheet metal about the same gauge as the body sheet metal. Mine are 2.5" wide, to the best of my knowledge original to the car. I'm the third owner and the old friend I bought the car from never mentioned any work being done to the seats (although I didn't ask him about anything being done to them either so take that for what it's worth). The hidden end is a simple 90 degrees with a very small radius on the corners. It extends to just short of the back corner of the seat. It was way too tight to get a good picture but I did find a picture my wife took of me working on the car years ago that shows the trim piece. It's a small picture so you'll have to zoom in to see much.

Thanks everyone for the information as well as the photos!!! I'm sure my upholster should now have enough information to create something similar for my sedan. Seeing Tiny's picture of his coupe made me understand why the back corner of the seat is difficult to photograph. I've only ever owned sedans.

Thanks again!
Terry

It is metal covered with the Mohair.
In the 1938 Dealer Show Room Album on page 51 top right corner, it looks to be very wide.

Any chance of a picture of the photo in the album?

Please remember this is from a 1938 Chevy Dealer Album.
I hope this helps.

Even though it's an action picture, I think it still gives one a clear idea of where the bottom edge would be.

Thanks

Hello tlg,

I haven't been on in quite some time and just saw your posting. If you still need them,

I have an extra set of these, you can have them for the cost of shipping, send me a PM with your address.

Thanks so much Dave for your generous offer! a PM has been sent as requested.

Terry
VCCA # 58150

I just checked my 1938 Master Coupe the upolestry was done with a kit from LaBaron Bonney it has 6 buttons on the seat.
I also checked the windshield garnish moulding, it has 2 vents for the defroster.

Has anyone heard from Dave (dfd37chev) vcca#47832 ? I have been trying to contact him via private message as he requested without success.

Terry
vcca#58150

You can find Dave's address and phone number in the Membership database.

Go to vcca.org -> Members -> Member Search -> and type his VCCA member number in as the search criteria.

Cheers, Dean

Hi Everyone,

I made contact with tig, work and late hours got in the way, and sent him the pieces he needed. These came of the seat from my "white" '37 MD. Hope to see pics when they are done.

a big THANK YOU to everyone's input on the subject and especially to Dave (dfd37chev) who so unselfishly sent me the pieces my car was missing at his expense.
Attached is a photo of the trim temporarily placed while I await my turn with the upholster to recover them. The holes in the trim match the holes along the bottom edge of the seat and I couldn't have been more pleased. So much easier than having someone fabricate them with nothing more than a photo to go on.

Thanks again!

Terry
vcca#58150

It looks like they're different in the sedan from the coupe. They look to wrap around the back of the seat where the business coupe's end at the back of the seat. The fat kid learned something today. Thanks for the picture.

I want to thank you all for your input and Dave's finishing trim panels donation . . . the upholsterer covered the pieces with mohair. A big plus for me when I went to install them was that the holes in the panels matched holes already along the side of the seat. I can't even imagine how difficult that would have been if someone had made the pieces from scratch without an original to refer to.

I was also able to track down some robe rope ends on eBay once I was able to see someone's original so I knew what I was looking for. I found what I think is a good substitute for the original rope though you might not all agree. I included a picture of what the inside of an original robe rope contains (chain) if you didn't know already.

very grateful

Terry
vcca#58150

That will work. Great job. It only makes sense that the trim would wrap around the back on the sedans rather than terminate at the back edge like my coupe. That way it hides the seat track mechanism from the back seat passengers. The fat kid learned something today.